The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-09-22
DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIES.
THE CHIEF REQUISITE TO
SOUTHERN PROSPERITY.
The Failacy of an Exclusive Agricul-
tural System.

Never before has the fatal mistake
of Southern farmers, in devoting their
attention wholly to the cultivation Of
cotton, been more strikingly portrayed
than in the letter Of Judge Kelley pub
lished in this issue of the Manxfaf-
furers' Record No country, it mat
tiers not how fertile its soil may be, can
ever secure permanent prosperity where
all interest is centered in the produc-
ton of one crop, whether that be cot
ton, tobacco or wheat. In truth, to 60
still farther and quote the opening
words of Judge Kelley's letter:
sin all ages and countries, nations
whose people have devoted themselves
exclusively to agriculture have been
liable to the horrors of famine. This
proposition is one of universal applica-
ton, and is as demonstrably true Of
our country, in the closing years of the
nineteenth century, as it was Of Egypt
in the days of the Pharoahs.''
The South has fully tried the ex-
elusive agricultural system. How is it
possible under such system for a coun-
try 20 attain prosperity when SO large
proportion of its people are forced
to remain in absolute idleness When
agriculture alone prevails where is en-
ployment to be found for those who
cannot engage in that occupation
What is to become of those who, under
other circumstances, would be engaged
in industrial pursuits? Where will the
many women, young and middle aged,
who have no one to support them, find
a means ofearning livelihood ? Con-
trast the condition of such a country
with that ofone where a wide diversity
of employmentS is open to every one
where the shops and foundries, the
cotton mills, the wooden mills and
other innumerable industries afforded
work, not only for the men, but for
the women compelled by circumstances
to support themselves. And then it is
not only that work is furnished 10 so
many, thus adding immensely to the
aggregate earnings of a community,
but the non-agricultural classes must,
Of necessity, be the consumers of what
the farmers produce. To every farmer
adjacent to industrial centers there is
given the opportunity to diversity his
productions and to find home mar
ket for all that he can raise. Of what
good is it to tell farmer to abandon
the exclusive cotton system and diver
sify his crops if he is SO far away from
a market as to make the raising and
shipping of fruits, vegetables, poultry,
ETC., impossible3 Build an industrial
town within five miles of that farm and
it will not be necessary to urge upon
him to diversity his crops, for he will
learn that quickly enough. Given
home market for all that he can pro-
duce, the Southern farmer will soon
revolutionize the farming system of
that section.
AS one contemplates the condition
thousands of the people of the purely
cotton districts Of the South, he can
not but feel that the great need of these
people is employment. They are cut
off from the opportunity of securing
work. No greater material blessing
can come upon the South than the de-
velopment of such industries as will af-
ford this needed employment. This
great inestimable blessing is rapidly
drawing nearer. From Virginia to
Texas new enterprises are daily coming
into existence. They are opening to
thousands and tens Of thousands prof
liable work, and prosperity is coming
to many who have for years endured
poverty. Are the people of the South
willing to check this growth by adop-
ting free trade i?